One dead in Odisha post-poll violence

Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) at a distribution centre on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. (PTI)

Post-poll violence erupted in Odisha as one person was killed and 4 others injured in a clash that broke out last night in coastal Kendrapara district after the conclusion of the final phase of polling.

Kendrapara Superintendent of Police Rabi Narayan Behera said a clash broke out between the supporters of BJD and the Congress in Aul assembly constituency last night. A middle aged BJD supporter succumbed to his injuries while four activists of the party were hurt. The exact cause of the clash is yet to be known. Three of the injured have been shifted to Cuttack for better treatment.

Kendrapara is already in the throes of tension after angry supporters of BJP yesterday assaulted Marshaghai BDO Sushanta Pati over allegations that he tampered EVMs. When an EVM-loaded vehicle was spotted parked in front of the official residence the BDO in Kendrapara town, the local people and opposition party workers allegedly beat him up and pelted stones at his government quarter. The EVMs had Kendrapara Lok Sabha and Mahakalpada Assembly written over them. Later Pati was rescued by police.

Kendrapara collector Nitin Bhanudas Jawale said the EVMs were actually reserve ones kept for replacement of any malfunctioning EVM. Jawale said the BDO has been suspended and has been asked to explain why the EVMs were kept near his residence. The district administration then clamped section-144 in the district till Monday apprehending a possible law and order situation.

Jawale said 388 reserve EVMs which were not used for voting were brought from all the block headquarters and stored in a new strongroom in presence of representatives of all political parties.

Last week, post-poll violence started in Koraput district after the president of of Koraput Biju Yuva Janata Dal Dharmendra Aadhikari and other BJD workers attacked the brother and nephew of Jeypore assembly Congress candidate Taraprasad Bahinipati on the night of April 10. Though police have named 8 in the FIR and identified them from CCTV footage, none of them have been arrested. Bahnipati today threatened to gherao Naveen Niwas if the accused were not arrested.

Meanwhile in Brahmagiri assembly constituency of Puri district there were reports of hurling of country made bombs. today in the Bidurabanga village under Brahmagiri police limits. While the area’s streets wore a deserted look and the doors and windows of most houses shut, men in uniform marched along the streets.

Police officials sadi BJD and Congrss workers clashed in Bidurabanga village under Brahmagiri police limits yesterday. The situation turned violent around 8 pm in the evening when they lobbed country-made bombs at each other. Seven persons including two women sustained serious injuries in the bomb attacks.

In a separate incident at Bhadrak three persons including two women of Rahanja continued…